Wednesday, December 12, 2018

If practice makes perfect, I should excel at pretending that Heath
Miller doesn’t affect me. That I’m immune to that wide jaw, taut body, and the
unique woodsy-aftershave-engine-oil scent that makes my ovaries explode.

Since before I could walk, he’s been my champion. My best friend. The
one problem I can’t solve. Why? If I tell him I love him, I’ll lose him and his
adorable daughter. Maybe the best Christmas gift I can give him—and myself—is
to turn in the keys to my B&B and put some distance between us.

Heath

I’ve made my share of mistakes. Lost my MIT scholarship, came home to
fix cars and romance Kentbury’s female tourists—until I wound up a single
father. For all eight years of Cassie’s life, Knightly’s been my anchor.

I’ve changed. Cassie’s the best part of me, and Knightly’s been there
every step of the way. But as Christmas lays its mantle of magic over Kentbury,
she drops a bomb—she’s following a dream to New York City. I’ve got one week to
do everything, say everything I’ve never dared. To convince my best friend to
be mine—ours—for all the holidays to come.

I hate
surprises almost as much as I hate Sunday brunch at my parents. My family and I
don’t get along. It’s a cliché, but we’re like water and oil. I became
everything they hate and I hate everything they represent. My parents are
judgmental. During my late teens and up until a few months ago, I fucked
around—a lot—in every sense.

Needless to
say, I lost my scholarship to MIT during my sophomore year. The dean called me
irresponsible. My parents wrote me off as a failure until I came back to
Kentbury to take over my uncle’s car repair shop after he died. I try to keep
myself out of trouble and off the town’s radar. I steer away from the women in
town. But I do have fun with the tourists who stay at the lodge. It’s simple.
They’re here for a week or a weekend. Then they’re gone for good.

“But I ran
out of luck,” I sigh and look down.

In the
bouncy chair lies Cassie, my one-month-old baby. The fuss of black hair is
covered by a pink hat. Her arms aloft as if dreaming of cuddling her mother. I
slide my pinky into her open hand and watch as her fingers curl around it. I
feel her soft breath on the back of my hand. Already the tension is melting
away as I watch my sweet little girl sleep in peace. She’s so innocent, she
doesn’t know that our lives have been forever changed again.

“Maybe I
just got lucky,” I whisper close to her ear. “You and I are going to make it
work. I’ll make your proud little one.”

There’s a
slight knock on the door. I kiss her tiny hand before I open it for Knightly.

“That must
be, Knightly, coming to save the day,” I whisper to Cassie and kiss her tiny
hand.

There’s so
much I could tell her about my best friend, but not enough time. I only tell
Cassie what’s important, “She’s going to become your favorite person. We call
her Lee for short.”

When I
swing the door open, I finally relax. Lee’s here.

Her big
brown eyes narrow locking her gaze at me. “I need a big explanation,” she says
handing me the shopping bags she carries with her.

“Hello,
Lee,” I greet her and stare at all the bags she brought as she unzips her blue
parka.

“I got
everything that you asked for,” she says. Bishop is bringing the big items.
What do you need that for?”

Her voice
is neutral, but I know her well. She’s easy to read. The expression on her face
matches her mood. I know when she’s excited about something. I can tell when
she’s tired or cranky. Or, like right now, when she’s upset that I’m keeping
her in the dark. As she takes off all her winter gear and sets her snow boots
on the plastic tray, I close the door avoiding the sight of her body.

I like to
think of Lee Harris as my best friend. One of the boys. She’s the kid who I
hung out with since she could walk. I endless practice not noticing her sweet
curves or the way her long, dark, curly hair cascades over her shoulders once
she takes off her hat. I’m a shitty person and can’t do relationships. I’d
never do anything to jeopardize my relationship with Lee. Ever.

I tilt my
head toward the living room. “Follow me.”

“Oh my God,
did Santa bring me a baby?” She claps once and takes out the tube of hand
sanitizer that she always carries around.

Without
asking, she snaps the belt of the bouncy chair open and takes her into her
arms.

Cassie snuggles
closer to Lee who looks beautiful holding my baby. I swallow hard and remind
myself that she’s a friend who deserves a lot more than a guy who sucks at
life.

“You’re not
going to ask anything?”

“The mom
came to the lodge earlier, asking for you.” She sweeps my body with her gaze.
“Tall, dark hair, light blue eyes and was friends with the Lodge’s owner.”

Lee rolls
her eyes and sighs.

“You and
Kingston need to stop sleeping around or…” Lee touches her mouth lightly with
the tips of her fingers. “Oops, it happened.”

“You
could’ve warned me.” I grit my teeth.

“I
could’ve.” She shrugs. “Maybe next time.”

I glare at
her. She’s not funny but I don’t have the energy to deal with her banter.
Though, maybe she doesn’t have much energy either because she’s not as witty as
usual.

“How are
you handling the news?” She asks with a serious tone, though her gaze remains
on Cassie.

“I’m
dealing, I guess,” I close my eyes briefly taking a deep breath. “Can you
picture me as a father?”

I gesture
to myself, showing her the hot mess that I am. Then, point to the
apartment I live in which is above the car shop.

“I’m a
fucked-up guy who can’t finish anything. I can’t even get along with my
parents. What am I supposed to do with a baby?”

“Love her,”
she answers.

“You should
give yourself some credit, Heath. She has the best dad in the world, and you
two have me and my family.”

I smile at
her and say the obvious, “I can always count on you.”

Lee studies
Cassie. She smiles at her, but her face looks a little saddened. Her brown eyes
are slightly red and watery. Was she crying? I’m sure it’s nothing. Later, when
I’m not busy with my baby I’ll ask her what’s wrong. In the meantime, I have to
learn how to be a dad.

Maybe I can
find a book on how to be a father online. It worked with the car shop, and so
far, I’ve managed it well enough.

Author Bio

Claudia is an award-winning, international bestselling
author. She lives in Colorado, working for a small IT. She has three children
and manages a chaotic household of three confused dogs, and a wonderful husband
who shares her love of all things geek. To survive she works continually to
find purpose for the voices flitting through her head, plus she consumes high
quantities of chocolate to keep the last threads of sanity intact.

4 Sexy Heels

Christmas in Kentbury is everything you want in a holiday romance; sweet, wholesome, and served hot! I particularly enjoyed how Lee, the protagonist, is fully honest with herself about her feelings and stands up for herself when she needs to. Heath was a delicious treat of both realistic and romantic! Cozy up to this book with some hot chocolate and feel the cool air of Kentbury on your skin as you watch these two come together.

The conclusion of the surprising love story begun in Dirty Sexy Player.

I didn't have a plan for him.

He was the means to an end, a workaround to the cruel terms of my father's will that would allow me to inherit his company.

I hadn't planned to fall for him.

I hadn't planned to enjoy every minute of our wedding, hadn't planned to gasp his name so many times that night, hadn't planned for the sexy games on our honeymoon.

He didn't plan for his secrets to come out.

And neither of us planned for heartbreak.

EXCERPT

As soon as we were in our suite, the bomb exploded, the bomb being Elizabeth. “We’re alone now, so just tell me straight. You knew I was always going to France. If you wanted to be with me, you had to know it would involve living there. Is that not something you’ll even consider? Is it Sabrina? Is it Reach? Is it Donovan? Because if it’s fucking Donovan who’s keeping you from—”

I grabbed her hands, which were flying in midair as she yelled, and pulled them behind her back at her waist as I cut her off with a searing kiss, my tongue plunging into her open mouth, robbing her of oxygen.

When she was thoroughly kissed, her lips pliable, her body sagging in my arms, I let her go.

“I’m tired, Elizabeth. I’m not discussing fucking anything tonight.” I took off my tuxedo jacket and threw it on the desk. Then I began working on my cufflinks. “What I think we both need now is to release some tension.”

Her spine straightened, her neck growing longer as she stared at me in shock. “You think we’re going to have sex now?”

I loved how she made it sound disgusting, like she wasn’t interested, even when I’d just been kissing her and had felt the lean in her body, had tasted the desire in her mouth.

Two could play the indifference game.

I shrugged. “I’m fucking someone tonight. If you want it to be you, you better take off your dress.”

Her mouth slammed shut, and she only seemed to consider it for two seconds before she was fumbling with the zipper at her back. She struggled with it, but I didn’t help her. It made me stiff to watch her frantically trying to strip down, just because I told her to. Just because she thought I might find a better offer if she didn’t.

Like there was a better offer than her.

Like there was anyone but her.

I didn’t take my eyes off her as I unbuttoned my vest and tossed it to the side with my jacket. I’d loosened my tie by the time she got her dress undone. It fell to the floor and she was left wearing a strapless corseted bra, one that had a low back so it couldn’t be seen with her dress on, and matching lace panties—both in a white ivory so virginal and bridal it seemed dirty.

Jesus, she was a fucking wet dream.

And she was my wife.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

With over 1.7 million books sold world wide, Laurelin Paige is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling Author. She is a sucker for a good romance and gets giddy anytime there’s kissing, much to the embarrassment of her three daughters. Her husband doesn’t seem to complain, however. When she isn’t reading or writing sexy stories, she’s probably singing, watching Game of Thrones or The Walking Dead, or dreaming of Michael Fassbender. She's also a proud member of Mensa International though she doesn't do anything with the organization except use it as material for her bio. She is represented by Rebecca Friedman.

Finally, the conclusion to Weston's story. We've waited for quite some time (since the Dirty Duets first started, I've been dying to hear what is story was and how it would end)...but it was worth the wait. Not everything is as it seems to all who know Weston and Elizabeth. Those who know it is a sham marriage might be in for quite a surprise...and those who believe it is a real marriage may not be surprised at all. Playing a game here and there in order to get to know each other better becomes some of the most enlightened time they will have together...in good ways AND in bad ways. Can these two overcome all of the obstacles that seem to be keeping them apart? Sexy as always!

Six Months Later…“LOVERS, I’M HOME,” Robbie Bianchi called out to his boyfriends, as he juggled several shopping bags in one hand and kicked the front door shut behind him. He stuffed his car keys into the pocket of his shorts, and as he evened out what he was carrying, he took the stairs that led him up to the first floor of their new home.With the same smile on his face that he’d left with that morning, Robbie headed across the hardwood floors past the dining room, and into the kitchen, where he spotted a note waiting for him: We’re upstairs, princesse. Come find us when you get home.Robbie grinned at the messy crown drawn above the i in princesse, but then quickly did as he was told. With one hand on the steel rail, he took the stairs two at a time, and as he reached the second floor where the bedroom was located, he walked inside to find it empty except for the fish swimming around the tank that lined the wall facing their bed. Dropping his shopping bags on the end of the mattress, Robbie headed up to the final floor, where he knew his men were waiting for him. He opened up the glass door that led to the penthouse deck, and when he stepped outside and the warm rays washed over him, Robbie took in a breath of fresh air. Ah, he’d always loved summer. Everything about it. The sun, the smell of the freshly cut grass, and the clothes—or lack thereof—Robbie thought, as he reached for the edge of his white tank top and drew it over his head.As he tucked it into the back of his shorts, Robbie scanned the wide deck, his eyes roaming over the wooden slat floor, the hot tub over in the corner, and the glistening water of the lap pool surrounded by the potted greenery bordering their rooftop oasis.This space had been the final selling point with all three of them when they’d made the decision to leave the condo after what had happened there with Jimmy. It was the perfect place for Julien to relax and do his yoga, for Priest, who loved a good soak to clear his mind, and for Robbie, for whom it was all about the calm he got from finally seeing his men happy and at peace. And that was exactly how he found one of them right now. There, stretched out on one of the sun loungers, was the brand-new reason that Robbie loved summer—an almost-naked Julien Thornton. Dressed in tight, black, barely there swim shorts that left little—okay, nothing—to the imagination, the only other thing Julien was wearing was a pair of Aviator sunglasses. His rich, olive-colored skin was glistening with water droplets as he lay sprawled out with his hands behind his head, and oh my God was he a feast for the eyes. As Robbie walked to the end of the lounger, his eyes roamed up Julien’s toned legs to his muscular thighs, and ended at the bulge that tight material was cupping like a glove. Oh yes, this was hands down the best part about summer now, and luckily for Robbie and Priest, tanning was a favorite pastime of their seriously sexy Frenchman.“Bonjour, princesse.” Julien’s honey-toned voice wrapped around Robbie, informing him that he’d been caught staring. But he didn’t care—not one little bit. “One second, please. I’m concentrating here,”Robbie said, his gaze trailing up all he could see to finally land on Julien’s face. “Now, sorry, what were you saying?”Julien chuckled as Robbie walked alongside him. “Bonjour, princesse.”“Oh, yes,” Robbie said, and bent down to brush a kiss across Julien’s lips. “Bonjour, Jules.” Robbie went to straighten, but before he got too far away, Julien took hold of the back of his neck and craned up for a deeper kiss. Robbie’s lips parted, and Julien slipped his tongue inside, making Robbie’s cock jerk to attention, as he braced his hand on the back of the lounger and sank into the deliciousness that was all Julien.

About Ella:

Ella Frank is the USA Today Bestselling author of the Temptation series, including Try, Take, and Trust and is the co-author of the fan-favorite contemporary romance, Sex Addict. Her Exquisite series has been praised as “scorching hot!” and “enticingly sexy!”Some of her favorite authors include Tiffany Reisz, Kresley Cole, Riley Hart, J.R. Ward, Erika Wilde, Gena Showalter, and Carly Phillips.

The only thing I hated about this book is that it is the end of this epic, different, beautiful love story. Saying goodbye to these three beautiful, gorgeous souls is breaking my heart. I know Ella will suck us in again with more great characters but these three have my heart. It is a relationship that should never work. These are three men who are all so very different BUT each has something immense to offer each other and the world. So many great and beautiful things happened in this book and mentioning them would only spoil the beauty that is The Princess, the Prick and the Priest for you. Just know that Robbie brings his own brand of sparkle along with both fear and strength along with his wonderful, boisterous family to the story. Priest brings his particular control but also a softer side of himself to this story and Julien brings his beauty and his spirit and a new found shine to our Confessions world. "I swear, I fall more in love with you. How is that possible? When I already love you so much?” -- I'll let you figure out who said what to who but this quote is everything I wonder on a daily basis about my own relationship and loved hearing it said in this story. You will get everything you love about Ella Frank...wonderful dialogue that can't help but make you smile, superb steamy scenes that can't help to make you squirm and a beautiful love story that can't help but make you swoon.

Tuesday, November 13, 2018

She's the girl next door.
He's the guy who's loved her from afar.They're in for an unexpected tumble into love.

Title: Before Girl

Author: Kate Canterbary

Release Date: November 13, 2018

She'll juggle your balls.
For Stella Allesandro, chaos is good. She's a rising star at a leading sports publicity firm. She's known throughout the industry as the jock whisperer—the one who can tame the baddest of the bad boys in professional sports without losing her signature smile.

But Cal Hartshorn is an entirely different kind of chaos.

He'll fix your broken heart.
This ex-Army Ranger and now-famous cardiothoracic surgeon fails at nothing…except talking to a woman he's adored from afar. Whether on the battlefield or operating room, he's exacting, precise, and efficient, but all of that crumbles when Stella is in sight.

Cal always knows—and gets—what he wants, and now he wants all of her. His forever girl.

Kate Canterbary doesn’t have it all figured out, but this is what she knows for sure: spicy-ass salsa and tequila solve most problems, living on the ocean–Pacific or Atlantic–is the closest place to perfection, and writing smart, smutty stories is a better than any amount of chocolate. She started out reporting for an indie arts and entertainment newspaper back when people still read newspapers, and she has been writing and surreptitiously interviewing people—be careful sitting down next to her on an airplane—ever since.

Kate lives on the water in New England with Mr. Canterbary and the Little Baby Canterbary, and when she isn’t writing sexy architects, she’s scheduling her days around the region’s best food trucks.

I was aware of the man-brick stories. I even had a few of them ready to read...but for whatever reason I never pulled the trigger on them. I was thrilled to hear Kate was going to publish them and I waited with bated breath to read all that is Cal Hartshorn. We've seen snippets of him in an earlier Walsh book or two and my full expectation what that he would be more like Stremmel was...just a miserable person but oh how in love I fell with the rumbly-grumbly man-brick. Before Girl almost turns traditional relationships on their heads in such a beautiful way...a way that only Kate Canterbary can bring us. Both Cal and Stella are strong, emotional characters but both hide their strength and emotions behind the witty quips, the funny dialogue and the awkward moments. Both have their own reasons for being unattached and it seems their lives as they know it serves them well....until it doesn't. When you know, you know...and both Stella and Cal will have to learn to navigate the pitfalls of their lives and their pasts in order to get to meat and sauce of the matter. Can one who believes she is no-one's forever believe that she can have forever with Cal? Full of the usual, wonderful, sarcastic and "inner mind" writing that is what Kate does best, this story hit me in the heart and had me rooting for Cal...and for Stella to have their homerun!!

Reviewed by Annie

5 Sexy Heels

Is this your first Kate Canterbary book? You are in for a real treat Kate style. This book is one of her standalones, but you get small glimpses of her Walsh series characters which as a seasoned Kate lover only makes me want her breadcrumbs to turn into books. You will totally see what I mean.

How Kate manages to make a totally hot alpha male be so adorably awkward is beyond me. That takes talent and she does it so perfectly. Cal is absolutely swoon worthy. Then add in a bossy, take control of her life woman who manages to be insecure and totally awesome. I freaking love Stella! I completely enjoyed every twist and turn that lead these two to their happily ever after.

Don’t miss out on this absolutely amazing book. You just might find yourself downloading more of her books.